The Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN), clarified yesterday that actor Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, was released by the Court of Appeal after completing his jail term, not cleared, as wrongly reported in some sections of the media.

Speaking with journalists in Lagos, Pedro said his attention was drawn to a social media post by actor Yomi Fabiyi, later republished by online platforms, alleging that the appellate court had exonerated Baba Ijesha of all charges, including sexual offences involving a minor for which he was convicted. He said this assertion was a deliberate misrepresentation of the judicial record.

Pedro explained that the clarification was necessary following Fabiyi’s claims that the Court of Appeal had declared the entire case a “charade” and absolved the actor of wrongdoing. He stressed that no part of the appellate court’s judgment granted such clearance.

Reviewing the case history, Pedro noted that the Lagos State High Court, on July 14, 2022, convicted Baba Ijesha of sexual assault and indecent treatment of a child for offences committed in 2021. He was sentenced to five and three years respectively, to run concurrently.

According to him, the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, in its June 28, 2024 judgement, only set aside charges related to alleged offences in 2013–2014 but expressly upheld the conviction and sentence for the 2021 sexual assault.

Pedro added that Baba Ijesha’s subsequent appeal to the Supreme Court was struck out on May 29, 2025, for being incompetent, while a follow-up application for leave to file a fresh appeal was dismissed on October 9, 2025. This left the Court of Appeal judgement fully in force.

He urged the public to disregard the misinformation and cautioned Fabiyi and any platform amplifying the false narrative to desist. Pedro added that the Office of the Attorney-General would not hesitate to invoke Section 39 of the Lagos Criminal Law, which criminalises the publication of false news intended to cause fear or alarm, should the falsehood continue.

He reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to protecting children, enforcing valid convictions, and preventing the distortion of judicial outcomes in the public space.